Avocado Pesto Rigatoni
Three equally delicious things separately, but together, Avocado Pesto Rigatoni is a fresh, flavorful and satisfying meal! I first made this avocado pesto a few months ago from one of my Cookbook Club features (Trisha Yearwood). So simple, and so flavorful. Also in this tasty dish: summer’s finest veggies of corn and tomatoes! And don’t forget the creamy burrata.
The Avocado Pesto
The pesto incorporates a pretty standard basil pesto recipe, but adds in a nice ripe avocado for that creamy dreamy smoothness!
I used walnuts, but you can use pine nuts or any other nuts you have on hand. I’ve also been making nut-free pesto lately to make allergy friendly dishes. So easy to make, just throw everything in the food processor and boom…pesto!
You can thin it out with more water which you may need to do depending on the size of your avocado. It may coat the pasta a little better if it’s thinner. You may have extra pesto, just keep in the fridge and use within a day or so to avoid browning. The lemon juice will keep it fresh and green for a bit, but not long.
If you have fresh sweet corn, that is always best if it’s in season. If you have the time, grill it for a nice char, and then cut it off the cob. Frozen corn is my next favorite, and of course there’s always canned. If you can find it, there is frozen charred corn, but it can be limited and hard to find in some stores.
If you wanted this to be a dairy free dish you can omit the burrata and still have really delicious flavor. The burrata just adds that cool, creamy, melty texture of the mozzarella cheese, yum!
I like to finish this Avocado Pesto Rigatoni dish off with a squeeze of grilled lemon, which also happens to make for a pretty garnish! Enjoy this summer pasta with all your farmers market finds or back yard garden goodies!
Avocado Pesto Rigatoni
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni
- 2 cups corn *see notes
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes halved
- 8 oz burrata cheese
- salt and pepper
- 1 grilled lemon optional for garnish
For the avocado pesto
- 2 ripe avocados
- 1 large bunch fresh basil about 3 oz.
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- 4 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/2 cup water
- salt and pepper
Instructions
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Add all of the pesto ingredients to a food processor. Blend until smooth or desired consistency is reached. Taste for seasoning, add additional salt and pepper if needed.
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Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook rigatoni according to package instructions to al dente, be careful to not overcook. Reserve some pasta water before draining.
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Cut the burrata balls into wedges.
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In a large skillet, add charred corn and halved tomatoes and warm through over medium-low heat. Add the drained pasta to corn and tomato mixture. Stir in desired amount of pesto (may not need all of it), coating all of the pasta. Add some of the reserved pasta water if needed to thin out. Stir in half of the burrata wedges. Once everything is warmed through, top with additional burrata wedges and allow to slightly melt into the dish. Garnish with the juice of fresh grilled lemon.
Recipe Notes
You can use various kinds of corn. I prefer the fire roasted corn from the freezer section, but it can be hard to find. If you cannot find that, I would also recommend grilling fresh ears of sweet corn, then cutting it off the cob, especially during sweet corn season! If neither of those are an option, use regular frozen corn and cook it in a skillet with a little olive oil until charred.
